Dec. 2, 2015
| GAME SEVEN | |
| Thursday, December 3 - 8 p.m. ET | |
| Bryce Jordan Center | University Park, Pa.. | |
| Game Day Information: | |
| GAME DAY LINKS | |
| TV: Big Ten Network (Live) | |
| Live Audio (Free) | | |
| Women's Basketball Blog | |
| Follow Us: @PennStateWBB | Facebook | Instagram | |
| Game Notes: Penn State | Virginia Tech | |
| Statistics: Penn State | Virginia Tech | |
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Penn State women's basketball program will welcome Virginia Tech to the Bryce Jordan Center on Thursday, Dec. 3 for the 2015 Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The game between the Lady Lions (3-3) and Hokies (5-1) will tip off at 8 p.m. and air live on the Big Ten Network, the Penn State Sports Network and online at GoPSUsports.com.
Getting Social
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Series Notes
// Penn State owns a 3-0 edge in the all-time series, with all three meetings coming since 2004.
// The first meeting came on March 23, 2004 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Lady Lions claimed a 61-48 decision in Blacksburg that day to advance to their 11th Sweet Sixteen.
// The two teams played a home-and-home series in 2011 & 2012, with Penn State winning, 66-28, at home in 2011 and, 60-41, on the road in 2012.
// The Lady Lions are 2-6 all-time in ACC/Big Ten Challenge games, including a 2-2 record at home.
At A Glance
// Freshman Teniya Page enjoyed her stay in California, setting career-bests in a host of categories, including points (26) and rebounds (eight). More on Page 3, 7 & 24.
// Junior Peyton Whitted continues to play well, adding her fourth double-digit scoring effort of the season vs. BYU. She notched 15 points and tied for team-high with eight rebounds. More on Page 3, 6 & 36.
// After not scoring in the season opener, junior Kaliyah Mitchell reached double-figures in the scoring column for the fifth straight game with 11 points vs. BYU on Nov. 28. More on Page 3, 7 & 28.
// Penn State is 72-46 all-time against ACC foes, but are just 4-6 in the last 10 meetings. More on Page 6.
// At least three players have reached double figures in scoring in all six of Penn State's games, including four players with 10-plus points in four games. More on Page 6.
// Penn State will head back on the road for a contest at USF on Sunday, Dec. 6 at 3 p.m. The game will be aired live on CBS Sports Network and the Penn State Sports Network.
Scouting Virginia Tech
// Taijah Campbell recorded two blocks against Wofford and ranks among the all-time career blocks leaders and now has 109 swats.
// The Hokies connected on a school single-game recrod 14 three pointers vs. George Mason in the second game of the season. Virginia Tech shot 51.9 percent from long range in the game.
// Sidney Cook paced four players in double figures in the Hokies 73-42 victory over Wofford on Nov. 25. Her 14 points were a game-high, while she missed a double-double by just one rebound.
// Head coach Dennis Wolff owns a 320-294 career record as a head coach. He is in his fourth season at the helm of the VT women's program, after spending 17 years as a men's head coach. He coached 15 years at Boston U. and two seasons at Connecticut College.
// Virginia Tech is 2-6 all-time in the ACC Big Ten Challenge. The two victories have come against Minnesota (Nov. 30, 2007) and Wisconsin (Nov. 28, 2012).
Last Time Out - vs. BYU (Nov. 28, 2015)
// Junior Peyton Whitted posted her fourth double-digit scoring effort of the season, leading the team with 15 points.
// Whitted also tied for the team-high with eight rebounds, marking the fifth time in six games she has led or tied for the lead in that category this season.
// Freshman Teniya Page had her sixth straight game with double-digit points and at least four assists. She netted 10 points and handed out four helpers.
// Page also tied her career-best with eight rebounds -- equaling Whitted for team-high honors.
// Moreover, Page collected her first career blocked shot.
// Senior Candice Agee scored nine points with five rebounds playing in her home state of California.
// Junior Kaliyah Mitchell added 11 points for her fifth straight double-digit scoring effort.
Getting Jiggy Whitted
// Peyton Whitted is having a great start to her junior season. She has already set career-highs for points (22), rebounds (16), assists (7), field goals made (8) and free throws made (6).
// Whitted entered the week tied atop the Big Ten and No. 25 nationally with 10.8 rebounds per game.
// Her three double-doubles ranked second in the conference and No. 19 nationally.
// She was the first player since Nikki Greene (2013) to post four straight games with at least 10 rebounds.
// Whitted has posted her first three career double-doubles in 2015-16, accomplishing the feat vs. Holy Cross (22p, 11r), at Tennessee (17p, 16r) and vs. Central Connecticut State (15p, 15r).
// Her effort against Fordham was also impressive, with nine points, 11 rebounds and a career-best seven assists.
// Whitted was named to the Big Ten Weekly Honor Roll after averaging 16.0 points and 15.5 rebounds for the week of Nov. 16-22.
// Entering the season, Whitted had just one double-digit rebound game. She has four this season.
B1G/ACC Challenge
// The Big Ten/ACC Women's Basketball Challenge began in 2007, with the ACC winning six of the eight events entering 2015.
// Penn State and Virginia Tech each own 2-6 records in the event.
// Adding Virginia Tech this season, the Lady Lions have played nine different opponents as a part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
// All-time games in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge;
12/4/14 - at No. 21 Syracuse - L, 61-39
12/4/13 - No. 4 Notre Dame - L, 67-77
11/29/12 - at Miami (Fla.) - L, 65-69
11/30/15 - No. 13 North Carolina - W, 103-84
12/2/15 - at Boston College - L, 104-113
12/2/09 - No. 23 Georgia Tech - L, 60-64
12/3/08 - at Florida State - L, 60-73
12/2/07 - No. 10 Duke - W, 86-84
Agee Sending It Back
// Senior Candice Agee blocked three shots vs. Cal State Northridge to become just the 10th Lady Lion to record 100 career rejections.
// She enters the game against Virginia Tech with an even 100 blocks for her career.
// She is just two swats shy of Talia East (102, 2011-14) for the No. 9 spot on the career charts.
// Agee has 28 career games with two-plus blocks.
// The Victorville, Calif., native enjoyed a 13-game streak with at least on blocked shot in 2014-15. She rejected shots in each game from Jan. 6 - Feb. 26, 2015.
// Agee recorded a career-high five blocks in a win over Rider on Dec. 14, 2014.
// Agee is looking to become just the 10th player in Penn State history to register 1.0 blocks per game for a career. She is currently at 1.06 bpg.
Balanced in the Scoring Column
// Penn State has seen at least three players reach double figures in each of its six games.
// Four Lady Lions have eclipsed the 10-point mark in four games.
// Freshman Teniya Page is the only Lady Lion to score 10-plus points in each contest.
// Juniors Kaliyah Mitchell and Peyton Whitted have scored 10-or-more points in five and four games, respectively.
// In 2014-15, Penn State had four players reach double-figures in the same game on seven occasions, five times w/ four players and twice with five players.
On the Right Page
// True freshman Teniya Page has been impressive as the Lady Lion point guard in her first six career games.
// The Chicago, Ill., native poured in a career-high 26 points to go along with personal best marks of eight rebounds and four steals against Cal State Northridge on Nov. 27.
// Has 5.3 assists per game entered the week ranked No. 45 nationally, an average that was sixth among freshmen.
// Page has opened her career with six straight 10-plus point, four-plus assist efforts.
// She scored 15 points with seven assists vs. Holy Cross, handed out six helpers with 11 points vs. Fordham.
// Against Fordham, Page did not commit a turnover in 38 minutes of action.
Injury Bug Strikes
// Senior guard Brianna Banks has missed most of the last three games due to a lower leg injury. She came out of the Tennessee game with the injury, missed all of the Cal State Northridge contest and played sparingly in the BYU game.
// Junior guard Sierra Moore and freshman guard Amari Carter will both miss the 2015-16 season due to injuries (knee).
// Moore averaged 12.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists, and added 15 blocked shots and 35 steals in 30 games last season.
// Carter also missed her senior year of high school due to a knee injury.
Mitchell's Double Digit Streak
// After not reaching the scoring column in the season opener vs. Holy Cross, junior Kaliyah Mitchell has secured double figures in scoring in each of the last five games.
// Three times in the last five games, Mitchell has ranked second on the team in scoring.
// Mitchell had a string of four straight games with at least four made field goals from 11/15-11/27.
// She has also cashed in at the free throw line, making 20-of-22 shots from the charity stripe, including a 6-of-6 effort vs. BYU on Nov. 28.
Working Overtime
// Penn State opened the season with an 86-82 overtime victory vs. Holy Cross and are now 21-18 all-time in overtime.
// The season opening overtime contest marked just the third time PSU opened a season with extra time.
// The Lady Lions are 2-1 all-time in season opening overtime games. The also won at Dayton, Nov. 12, 2010, but lost, 93-84, to Connecticut on Nov. 25, 1989 in a game played at Iowa.
// The overtime victory marked the first overtime victory for PSU since the Nov. 18, 2010 at Oakland (96-89). Penn State had lost three straight overtime contests.
Washington Reaches 150
// Head coach Coquese Washington won her 150th career game on Sunday, Nov. 15 vs. Fordham, 75-59.
// Washington has started each of her nine seasons at the helm of the Lady Lions with a victory.
// In eight of the nine seasons, Penn State has began the year with at least two victories.
// Washington is unblemished in home openers, as well, winning all nine of her initial games in front of the home crowd.
Nice Opener for Newcomers
// All five Penn State newcomers saw time on the floor vs. Holy Cross in the season opener.
// Three newcomers; senior Brianna Banks, and freshmen Teniya Page and Ashanti Thomas all started their first games in the blue and white.
// Banks ranked second on the team in scoring with 20 points, while Page also reached double figures with 15 points.
// Page handed out seven assists, grabbed two rebounds and had one steal in the contest.
// Thomas chipped in seven points, six rebounds and one blocked shot in her first collegiate game.
// Freshmen Amari Carter and Jaylen Williams each scored two points in the contest.
2016 Pink Zone at Penn State
// The 10th Annual Pink Zone at Penn State will be held Sunday, January 17 in the Bryce Jordan Center when the Lady Lions take on Michigan. The game time will be 2 p.m. ET.
// Last year, the Lady Lions donated $999,999 after setting a record with $310,000 raised for breast cancer causes in 2013-14.
// All totaled, the Lady Lions have donated more than $1.375 million for breast cancer research and awareness in the first nine years.
// Money raised this year will be disbursed to six different beneficiaries: Mount Nittany Medical Center, The Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, The Kay Yow Cancer Fund, PA Breast Cancer Coalition, JC Blair Memorial Hospital, and Geisinger-Lewistown Hospital.
// For more information on the Pink Zone at Penn State, visit the official Pink Zone website at www.pennsylvaniapinkzone.org.
Three McDonald's All-Americans
// The Lady Lions tout three McDonald's High School All-Americans on their roster this season in Candice Agee, Sierra Moore and Brianna Banks.
// Banks played in the 2011 contest, while Agee and Moore were participants in the 2012 game.
// Prior to Coquese Washington taking the reins, the Lady Lions only had one McDonald's High School All-American in program history.
Adding Two for 2016-17
// Head coach Coquese Washington and her coaching staff added a pair of top-25 guards during the early signing period in Siyeh Frazier and Jaida Travascio-Green.
// The 5-foot-11 Frazier averaged 18.5 points and nine rebounds per game as a junior at Renaissance High School in Detroit, Mich.
// She added nearly seven assists and six steals per game to earn AP All-State honors and Detroit Free Press Dream Team.
// An all-conference performer since her freshman year of high school, Travascio-Green garnered all-state honors after averaging 17 points, six rebounds, nearly four assists and two steals per game as a junior.
// A state qualifier and school-record holder in the high jump, Travascio-Green earned 2015 honorable mention all-state from the Chicago Tribune.
#WePlayOn
Penn State ended the WNBA season with four players on active rosters, including one All-Star and one WNBA Finals participant.
// Alex Bentley and Nikki Greene each suited up for the Connecticut Sun, Maggie Lucas played for the Indiana Fever and Tanisha Wright spent the season with the New York Liberty.
// Bentley ranked among the top-15 in the WNBA in steals (1.9) and scoring average (14.7), sitting third and 11th, respectively.
// Bentley was selected to the WNBA East All-Star roster and scored a team-best 23 points off the bench and handed out five assists.
// Lucas saw action in 30 games with a career-best 5.7 points per game average. She helped the Fever to an Eastern Conference championship and push the Minnesota Lynx to five games in the WNBA Finals.
// Wright ended her 11th season in the league with 7.4 points, 3.1 assists and 1.0 steals per game.
// Her assist total ranked ninth in the WNBA in 2015 and she moved into No. 14 in league history with 1,127 helpers in 364 career games.
// Greene played in 12 games as a late-season signing for the Sun, averaging 1.2 points and 2.0 rebounds.